History is full of strong women that made an impact on the world. The likes of Queen Elizabeth the First, Joan of Arc, Mother Teresa, Marie Curie and Amelia Earhart
The person that I will talk to is neither famous nor changed the world. She, however, changed mine.
Born from humble beginnings from a farmer father and a teacher mother. Her name derived from the literary character Anna Karenina.
She lived a simple life. She went to school in MaryKnoll (Miriam College now) in Baguio city. She had a white dog called Beauty, occasionally fought with her younger sister. Her cousins were her first best friends and were constantly singing, playing dress up and house. Such was the simple life of this girl.
She is the last girl on the bottom row on the right side
One of our earliest memory together was a crib covered in a blanket. A round head standing up beneath it and whack! she hit it with a plastic mallet toy thinking it was the younger sister but to her horror, it was me who cried. She said she never ran as fast as she did that day.
Fast forward a couple of years I was having my haircut by a local barber and she was teasing me. I suddenly reach out, Snip! blood begins to flow from a cut ear, I am too shocked by the pain to even cry out. She ran as fast as she can again.
We moved away from Baguio when mother got a teaching position down in Manila. She was now a full-fledged professor of English in International School of Manila. Her professional life was taking off and she became busier. The father was offered an administrative job in Jakarta and flew off. The house was mostly empty save for three kids and their nannies.
She taught me to read and from that moment I was in love with the written word. We spent days reading poetry and fiction. I remember when I was four years old she made me memorize the poems "The Raven" and "Annabel Lee" both by Edgar Allan Poe. In hindsight, it was pretty dark for a kid.
From Mother to Matriarch
Let me digress a bit here as I explain that our mother who was so busy with her career that the responsibility of raising her kids ultimately fell to my sister. We don't begrudge her on this because she had her priorities and that was to give her children a comfortable life.
Aside from being an English Professor she also went into Real Estate and forged her empire. During weekends and summer when she didn't have classes she would be out surveying land and building projects.
She became more strict and her favorite hobby during Sunday mornings was to start shouting at people for not being at the level of her standards. I remember my sister packing us all in a taxi and go to our favorite A&W restaurant and order footlongs and have root beer floats and play arcade games afterward.
We would go home late afternoon when the Matriarch has spent all her energy to a quiet house as she listens to her Frank Sinatra songs thinking of our father in a jungle in Jakarta.
The Decision
She graduated Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines with a degree in Mass Communication major in Film. She was invited to study abroad to hone her craft. She thought about the opportunities and experience she would get.
She looked at the two boys(my younger brother was around 2 years old at this time) who slept in her room and was playing with their action figures and toy cars. She then began to type her withdrawal from the program.
You see my sister always placed the needs of her family above her own desires and dreams. She always looked at those two boys and raising them to the best of her abilities. She never shirked away from the responsibilities thrust into her young shoulders. She openly accepted her role and have never thought that we were a burden.
She was there in all the milestones in our lives. Graduation from elementary, high school and even college. To my brother's eternal shame she was there when he got circumcised and lent her skirts. She was there when we are sick, she was there when we got into trouble as boys would normally do. She was present during the darkest times of my life and helped me get back.
Even when she had her own family she still looked after us. Giving counsel, financial support and, a loving home. Sunday brunch was the best times as we never lost the warmth of being family even in our busy lives. We would cook, bake and play board games just like what we did as kids.
I have often wondered what life would have been for us if she decided to come to New York. Would our lives be any different? Would have been stronger or weaker in terms of personality without her guidance? Would I be alive without her?
She is sister, mother, father, confidant, guardian, savior, boss at one point and friend. She is the entire reason why I am still here and I thank her for possessing the power of love for her family. We all turned out okay because she accepted us wholeheartedly and loved us for who we are flaws and all.
So thank you, sister, for being there always.
This entry is in support of the wonderful contest being done by
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What It Means To Be A Woman - SFP-Cebu #WomanPower Writing Contest
